FCTA insists demolition to go on during Yuletide

By Hudu Yakubu Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, said cleanup of illegal structures in Abuja will continue ‘during’ and ‘after’ the yuletide.

Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, revealed this while speaking to journalists at the removal of illegal structures at Guzape I and Guzape II, in Abuja.

He again warned residents against buying illegal lands from locals Chiefs and indigenes, who do not have right to allocate or sell land to anyone.

He added that it is only the Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, who has the constitutional power to allocate land in Abuja.

According to SSA, “We came here today to actually continue from where we stopped because some persons in FCDA informed us that we haven’t finished the job. The one at Kobi village in Guzape II, all the illegal houses and structures on the road corridors were all removed today in order to give way to the infrastructural work that is ongoing in that area. The main Guzape I village here, we are trying to remove the illegal structures, barchers, shanties and all illegalities here and all encroachment here that are non indigens were all removed here.We have warned the non indigenes to stop buying land from the locals, the locals are up, you can see the village up there, they are in their respective homes watching what is ongoing”.

He continued, “We had marked earlier for removal and we are now here to remove them. When we came here they thought the locals will come and tell us when to remove and not when to remove, the locals are in their houses and those who bought land from them are crying and the Minister has asked us to clear to pave way for the infrastructural work that is ongoing in the area. We will be working deep into the Christmas and probably ‘during’ Christmas and ‘after’ the Christmas”.

One of those affected Mr Amos, who spoke to journalists, said he bought the land about 2 years ago for N120, 000 from the indigenes and moved in 2021.

“I built here Kobi Sarki. I built about two years ago. I bought 25:30, at N120,000, nobody told me that the land is illegal. I bought the land from the indigenes and they gave me a paper from Madaki house and it was the Emir that signed the paper they gave to me. I even paid for the signing of the paper, I paid N3k. I started building in 2020 and I parked in 2021, and I spent about N1 million to build the house and everything is gone now”.

He lamented that, “Nobody informed us that the land is illegal if they had told me I wouldn’t have bought the land or build here. The locals are suppose to tell us that they will still demolish the buildings”.

On his plans,he said he might be moving back to the village.

Mr Yohhana who was also affected,lamented the fact that nobody told them that their houses will be demolished one-day.

He said the first demolition they held a meeting with the indigenous people and they assure them that no demolition for now but now their houses are gone.

He said he bought his land for N70,000 and he want his money to be refunded.

He said the Madaki has already instructed to go after the people that sold the land to them in order to get their refund .